Convertible chair



March 31, 1953 E. B. LEHMAN ETAL 2,633,132

CONVERTIBLE CHAIR Filed March 5, 1947 2 SI-IEETS-SHEET 1 uvmvrow. Z'Zerzara' EZehma/Z, BYE a)" (Z Zeizmafz, 2626M fiflZd/d- Wudwz da March 31, 1953 E. B. LEHMAN ET AL 2,533,182

CONVERTIBLE CHAIR Filed March 5, 1947 I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 N VEN TOR5 [Zerzara fi ls/2mm l' a! die/mum M ,Mrf WW "Fig. 4; I Fig. 6 is 1 view We en a e s 9 e imes are.

Patented Mar. 31, 1953 (damn CONVERTIBLE CHAIR Emmi-an. Lehman an Elkhart, Ind;

1 This inventionis concerned with improvements in chair constructionsl It is an object of the invention to provide .a

chair, havingthe general appearance and characteristics of a childs high chair, including ,a

tray member, tray supporting arms and a footrest, which is so constructed that the tray member, the supporting, arms, and the footrest may be readily detached and removed therefrom whereby to convert the chair into a youth's chair or astool.

It is another object of .the invention to provide improvements in a chair construction of the type having a legsupported horizontal seat,

mounting thereon a .tray member whereby the tray member may be connected tov an'arm on .one side of thechair for horizontal swinging movement and adjustably securedin any desired position to the arm on. the opposite. side of the chair. .i

lt is another 'objectof .the invention to vide in a chair construction of the type described a one-piece removable member having arm forming end portions extending forwardly in a horizontal plane above the seat of the chair and hav- 'ing an intermediate portion extending around i the back of the chair and means for detachably connecting the arm forming portions to .the seat and the intermediate portion to the back of ja'description of the chair which is shown, by way; of example, inthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view ofjachair embodying the principles of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the chair;

Fig. 3 is aside elevation of the chair;

Fig. 3a is japartial detailed section taken on the line 3a'-3a of Fig. 2, to an enlarged scale. a Fig. 4 is' a detail view of the tray latching mechanism;

. Fig. 5 is a section, taken on the line 5-s bf ,a. fragmentary detail bottom plan d Edgar A. 'Leliman,

5 Claims. (01.. 127) Fig. '7 is a fragmentary detail bottom plan view, to an enlarged scale, of the tray pivot mechanism;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a chair showing a modified form of tray latching mechanismj Fig. 9 is afragmentary detail bottom plan view,- to an enlarged scale, of the modified form of tray latching mechanism; and

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the latch anism of Fig. 8.

Referrings to Figs. 1 to. 6 of the drawings, the preferred form ofthe invention comprises a chair having a substantially round horizontal seat forming member I!) supported on four legs H which may be round or anyother suitable cross section. The legs H are slanted outwardly for greater stability and. connected by a brace member I2 which is preferably substantially circular in form and positioned intermediate the seat It and the bottom ends of the legs ll.

, A back forming member 13 extends upwardly from the rear side of the seat [9. The back I3 is transversely curved to conform generally to the periphery of the seat ill to which it is secured at its bottom edge 14. by any conventiona1 securing means such as screws or the like. The vertical sides and the top of the back I3 are ;-curved to enhance the appearance and a relatively short roundedreinforcing member I5 is provided on the top edge. A generally C-shape'd one-piece arm forming member I6 is provided having end portions I1 and 18 which constitute forwardly projecting tray-supporting side arm members and. an intermediate portion I9" which is adapted to extend around the rear side of the back 13. The intermediate portion I9 is detachably secured to the back l3 by a U-shaped bracket member 20 having its bight portion 2|, secured to the back l3 by means of rivets 22) or equivalent securing means and its legportions 23 extending rearwardly. The legportions- 230i the member 20 are provided with. aligned apertures which receive a tapered securing pin'24 having a ring 25 by means of which it may be grasped for removal, The intermediate portion [9, of the arm forming member I6 is provided with a cooperating aperture which may be aligned with the apertures in the legs 23 of the bracket member to receive the pin 24 when in assembled relation.

mech- Generally vertical brace members 26 are provided adjacent the forward ends of the arms 11 and [8. The brace members 26 have bent over (7 endsto form upper flanges 21 which are secured in any appropriate manner to the bottom side of v the arms" l1 and" Maria iower'flan'ges 28' which are detachably secured beneath the seat ill by means of stud bolts 29 provided with wing nuts 30. The brace members 26 slope outwardly and upwardly and support the arms l1 and I8 of the chair.

A tray member 3| which is preferably kidneyshaped is provided for detachable positioning on the arms I! and I8. The tray 3| is provided adjacent its rear corner 32 with a downwardly extending pivot bolt or stud 33. The stud 33 is preferably provided with a base plate 34 which is permanently secured to the tray by screws 35 or in any similar manner.

The arm member I1 is provided with a plurality of spaced sockets 36 formed in part by aligned apertures in the top and bottom legs 31 of a generally U-shaped clip member .3'8secured on the arm H by the bolt 39. The arm I8 is provided with apertures .which are in alignment with the respective holes in the legs 31 and cooperate therewith to form the sockets 36. Each socket 36 is provided with a groove or slot 40 in one side and the pivot bolt 33 is provided with a cross pin 4| extending at one side near its end. The grooves 40 and cross pin 4| are so arranged that, to permit removal of the pivot bolt 33 from a socket 36, the'tray 3| must be swung to a left, or fully opened position, in order to align,

the pin 4| with the groove 40. The groove 40 is of a size sufficient to permit free passage of the extending end of the pin 4|, thus permitting the removal of the pivot bolt 33 from the socket 36. This construction not only permits the removal of the entire tray 3| as a unit but it also .permits the pivot point of the tray 3| to be adjusted towards and away from the back |3 in order to accommodate children of different size and. to position the tray as closely-as desirable to the child.

The opposite side 42 of the tray3| and the arm [8 are provided with cooperating latch elements for securing or latching the tray 3| in the desired position. As illustrated more particularly inFigs. 4, and 6, the arm |-8 is rovided with a U-shaped channel member 43 alongits outer edge which is secured by means of screws 44 in a recess 45 provided inthe edge of the arm.

The tray 3| is' provided on'its underside with a generally U-rshaped bracket having its bight portion 46 secured to the tray 3| by screws 4.1. The legs 43 of the U-shaped bracket are provided with aligned apertures 49 to receive one leg of an L-shaped latch member'56 which is retained on the legs 48 of the U-shaped bracket by across pin 5|. A cam 52is provided on the inner end of the latch member 58 which cooperates with the channel member 43 to secure the tray 3| to the arm -|8 when' the latch member 'iifl is rotated by grasping the knob or handle 53 and turning the samein the proper direction. The latch mechanism is constructed so that thecam 52 on the latch member 50 will engage in the channel 43 in locking relation regardless of the particular socket 36 'inwhich the *pivotbolt 33 is positioned.

A footrest 54 is provided for positioning on the forward legs The footrest "54 consists of a cross bar 55 andabase member 56. The forward legs H are provided with pivot'sockets 51 for receiving pivot pins 58 and 59 on the footrest.-

The pin 58 is'rigidly secured to'the base 56 while pin 59 is positioned in a socket60 inthe base '56 and urged into projecting position :by a spring'6 I. With this construction "the'pin "59 'may 'be retracted to remove itirom thesocketilrafter which the entire footrest 54 may be removed by withdrawing the pin 58 from the other socket 51. The footrest 54 is provided with a rearwardly projecting brace member 62 having a series of slots 63 along the bottom edge which are adapted to engage a supporting bar 64 positioned between the forward legs II to provide adjustable positioning of the footrest.

A modified form of tray latching mechanism is illustrated in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. The tray 10 is pivotally mounted on the arm H in the same manner as in Figs. 1 to 4. The arm 12 is provided with a latch member or plate 13 which is secured in a recess 14 provided in the outer edge .of the arm. The member 13 is provided with a plurality of socket formations adapted to receive the end l6 of a latching pin 11. The pin TI is secured to the underside of the tray 10 by means of a U-shaped bracket 18 having a base portion 19 and legs which are provided with aligned apertures 8|. The latching pin 11 is received in sliding relation in the apertures 8|. A spring 82 is provided on the pin T! with one end abutting a leg 80 of the bracket 18 and the other end engaging a transverse pin 83 in the latch pin 17. The spring 82 tends to urge the latch pin '11 in the inward direction. The latch pin i1 is provided with a head 84-which may be grasped to withdraw the end 16 of the pin from the socket 15. This construction rovides for a plurality of spaced points at which the tray 10 may be latched in position.

The major portion of the chair is preferably made of wood. The elements provided for connecting the arm forming member to the back, for pivoting the tray, and for latching the same to the arm members, are preferably of metal. The

of said back forming member and providing tray supporting arms, said arms extending horizontally along the sides of and in vertically spaced relation above the seat member, said C-shaped member having an intermediate portion extending between the arm forming end portions and positioned around therear of .the back, means readily detachably securing said intermediate portion to said back, generally upright brace members extending from the seat member 'to forward portions of said arms, and meansreadily detachably connecting said brace members to the bottom of said seat'member.

2. In a chairconstruction comprising a seat forming member, a back forming member, a horizontally positioned member having side arm "forming portions extending forwardly of said member and .said tray'having'thereon a pivot means'adaptedto be selectively positionedinsaid sockets, a latch means on said tray and the other of said arm portions, said latch means comprising a plurality of socket formations on said arm portion and a cooperating spring-pressed retractable plunger member on said tray opposite said pivot means, whereby said tray may be secured in latched position irrespective of the socket in which said pivot means is positioned.

3. In a chair construction as claimed in claim 2, and means on said pivot means preventing removal of said pivot means from said socket until said tray has been moved to a fully opened position.

4. A convertible high chair comprising a generally circular seat forming member, supporting legs depending from said seat member, a forwardly curved back member extending upright from the rear of said seat member, a one-piece generally C-shaped member havin tray supporting arms extending forwardly of said back member above said seat forming member and an intermediate connecting portion readily detachably connected to said back member, upright forward brace members connected to said arms and readily detachably connected to said seat member, a tray member detachably pivotally connected to one ofsaid arms, the pivotal connection of said tray member being at a selected one of spaced pivoting points along said arm, and interengaging latch means connecting said tray and the other of said arms, the latch connection being at a selected one of spaced connecting points along said other arm, whereby said tray may be selectively positioned on said arms and said tray and its supporting arms may be readily detached from said chair to convert the same to an armless chair suitable for use as a youth's chair.

5. In a chair construction comprising a seat forming member, a back forming member and a horizontally positioned member having forwardly extending side arm forming portions in vertically spaced relation above said seat forming member, a removable and adjustable tray member supported on said arms, one of said arms being provided with a plurality of spaced sockets and said tray having thereon a pivot means adapted to be selectively positioned in said sockets, said tray and the other of the arms on said arm forming member being provided with a latch means comprising a channel member on said arm and a pivotally mounted cam member on said tray whereby said tray may be secured in latched position irrespective of the socket in which said pivot means is positioned.

ELENORA B. LEI-IMAN. EDGAR A. LEHMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 256,272 Bent Apr. 11, 1882 317,707 Bent May 12, 1885 535,913 Haynes July 6, 1897 1,003,899 Hamry Sept. 11, 1911 1,256,936 Shaver Feb. 19, 1918 1,887,234 Copenhaver Nov. 8, 1932 2,022,955 Davis Dec. 3, 1935 2,281,732 Uline May 5, 1942 

